Surreal photography is pushing the boundaries of what is achievable with a photograph. Photo surrealism is an intellectual and artistic movement that started in the early 1920s in France and is famously known for its astonishing writings, surreal images and artworks.
Bill Binzen (1918-2010) was an American photographer of people and nature, whimsy and pathos, most active from the 1960s to the '90s. After a career as an art director for the advertising agency Ogilvy and Mather in the 1950s, he took his leave from the world of 'Mad Men' in about what would have been its third season, heading instead into full immersion in the world of the photographic image, never to look back.
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| Surreal Photography by Bill Binzen in 1972 |
Binzen established himself as a commercial and magazine photographer, author of more than a dozen children's books, and an artist. His work appeared in magazines such as Life, Esquire, Psychology Today, Sports Illustrated, Time, Holiday, Fortune, the New York Times Magazine, and Parents, as well as in advertising, calendars and cards.
Central to his photographic work are collections from New York City in the '60s, rural New England, and Tuscany; evocative character studies; and experimentation, such as with “doubles” (sandwiching two slides together, pre-Photoshop).
Characteristic of his style is great attention to composition and the evocation of mood. These amazing surreal photographs are part of his work from book
DOUBLE TAKE in 1972.
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| Electric Sparks Face |
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| Fire Hydrant Snow |
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| Kids In Snow |
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| Man Woman In Masks |
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| Mannequin And Door |
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| New York City Ashtray Plaque |
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| New York City Street |
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| Upside Down Airplane |
(Photos © Bill Binzen)
